for the topping

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Method

Place apples, dates and soda in a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand until cool.

Beat butter and sugar together in another bowl until thick and creamy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Fold flour and apple mixture (including all the juice) alternately into creamed mixture.

Spread into a greased and lined 23cm springform tin.

Bake in a moderate oven (180ºC) for 45 minutes.

To prepare topping: place butter, sugar, coconut and milk in a small saucepan. heat, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved

Remove cake from oven. Spread topping evenly over the top of cake.

Bake for a further 15 minutes or until topping is golden and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin. Carefully remove sides of the tin. Transfer cake to a serving plate.

When I line a springform tin, I just tear off a rectangle of baking paper, place it over the base and clip the sides to the tin, keeping it in place. Then when I come to put the cake onto a serving dish, I use the paper to ease it onto the plate- get one corner and fold under then keep removing paper as cake goes onto plate if you kind of know what I mean!

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Tried this recipe?

This cake is AMAZING! Such a light dough but with lovely rich flavours. And the topping makes it truly indulgent. I used molasses sugar in the topping which worked really well but might be a bit too rich for some people.

Posted by rfrf on 1st Feb 2013 at 22.39

OH my this cake was to die for so yummy and so easy to make. Definitely going to a regular in my home!

Posted by cakez on 16th Jan 2014 at 13.11

To this recipe I added walnuts......OH my goodness, everybody tasting it can't stop eating it. I think the secret to its success is the caramelised coconut topping...truly inspired!!!

Posted by lseymour on 1st May 2014 at 22.59

Really delicious cake! I added a teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg and half a teaspoon of cloves; I had no coconut so used chopped crystallised ginger and currants instead. Love the toffee-like topping with the soft fluffy cake - seriously good.